Fuel Smarts

House Ethics Committee Investigates Shuster

The House ethics committee is investigating Rep. Bud Shuster, R-PA, who is head of the House Transportation Committee.

Shuster has already been under investigation for his ties to Ann Eppard, a transportation lobbyist who was his chief of staff for 22 years. Now the ethics committee is expanding the investigation to include Shuster’s campaign operations over the past six years, reports the Associated Press. Shuster has been criticized for combining fund-raising trips with official business. An Associated Press review found tens of thousands of dollars in spending at restaurants, hotels, Broadway theaters and liquor stores under the banner of “political meetings.” Yet Shuster does not have significant opposition for his Congressional seat.Shuster is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Congress. Last year’s Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century included several projects that benefited Eppard’s clients. Eppard is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly embezzling from Shuster’s campaign committee and accepting illegal payments to influence highway construction projects.